This invention relates most generally to gaseous display panels of the type characterized by a gas-containing envelope. Such display panels typically have an anode and a group of cathode segments adapted to form any of a plurality of recognizable indicia such as the numerals zero through nine. Upon application of an appropriate electrical potential to the anode, and to selected ones of the cathode segments, the gas inside the envelope ionizes causing the selected cathode segments to glow. The glowing segments take the form of a desired one of the recognizable indicia.
The prior art shows many different kinds of display panels of the type generally described. One such display panel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,693. The disclosure of that patent is incorporated herein by reference for its general teachings regarding the manufacture and operation of gaseous display panels.
Unlike the gaseous display panels disclosed in the aforementioned patent, wherein the anode and cathode segments are formed of metal strips, some display panels of the prior art utilize a much different construction. In particular, the anode in some prior art display panels consists of a thin metallic surface, such as a tin oxide coating, deposited onto a surface of the gas-containing envelope. For various reasons well known in the art, including the need to provide an electrical path from the tin oxide anode coating to an appropriate anode terminal located at the periphery of the glass envelope, such panels typically utilize a reinforcing stripe of nickel or the like to outline the tin oxide surface.
Though such anode constructions have produced satisfactory results, they are relatively costly, and require separate manufacturing steps in applying the tin oxide anode coating and the nickel outline. It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a gaseous display panel which can be manufactured in a more expeditious manner. It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved gaseous display panel which provides satisfactory results at reduced costs. Other objects of the invention, along with related features and advantages, will be apparent hereinafter.